viii Preface. 



home to the Admiralty, whence they were transmitted to the 

 British Museum, the authorities of that institution then submitting 

 them to specialists for systematic description. For much kindly 

 aid in making these arrangements, as well as for advice and 

 encouragement received during the progress of the cruise, I am 

 indebted to Dr. Albert Gunther, F.R.S., Keeper of Zoology in the 

 British Museum. 



I take this opportunity to thank Mr. Frederick North, R.N., 

 for the use of a collection of photographs which were taken by 

 him during the cruise under circumstances of peculiar difficulty, 

 and of which most of the engravings in this work are repro- 

 ductions. 



I am also under obligations to all the other officers for assist- 

 ance rendered to me in various ways ; and especially to those 

 officers who acted successively as Senior Lieutenants, for the 

 consideration with which they tolerated those parts of my 

 dredging operations that necessarily interfered with the main- 

 tenance of good order and cleanliness on the ship's decks. 



Finally, I have to thank my friend, Mr. R. Bowdler Sharpe, 

 the distinguished ornithologist of the British Museum, by whose 

 advice and encouragement I was induced to submit these pages 

 to the public, for his assistance in perusing my MS., and offering 

 some useful suggestions. 



R. W. C. 



